Blank-feeding device



June 29, 1937. $M|TH BLANK FEEDING DEVICE 5 Sheets-Shet 1 Filed June 7, 1954 away m K .2? WW mm 4??? June 29, 1937. M TH 2,085,339

BLANK FEEDING DEVICE Filed June 7, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q Q N E 357w vars 521v CXQM June 29, 1937. A. SMITH 2,085,339

BLANK FEEDING DEVICE Filed June 7, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented June 29, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BLANK-FEEDIN G DEVICE Application June 7, 1934, Serial No. 729,541

2 Claims.

This invention appertains to a novel machine for finishing discs, or chips, after the same have been cut or stamped out of strips of sheet material, and can be used in conjunction with the device shown in my Patent No. 2,073,320, entitled Feeding and blanking machine.

After the discs, or chips, have been stamped, or cut, out of the strips of cardboard or similar material, the sanie have more or less a rough appearance at their peripheries, and it is desirable to give the edges of the chips a finished smooth appearance, and to color this edge to agree with the body of the chips, in order that chips of a high grade, or quality, can be had.

It is, therefore, one of the salient objects of my invention to provide a machine embodying means for receiving a quantity of cut chips, or discs, and to deliver these chips to a novel feed mechanism utilized for carrying the chips on edge past a series of operating devices, such as a buffer, inker, polisher, etc., whereby to bring about the efiective finishing of the chip edges.

Another important object of my invention is to provide novel means for conveying the chips on edge past the operating devices, including a plurality of parallel supporting feed screws, or worms, the threads of the screws acting to simultaneously feed a number of chips along the lengths thereof and to rotate the chips, whereby the edges of the chips around their entire peripheries will be acted on and effectively treated.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a magazine located at one end of the feed screws for receiving a stack of chips to be treated, with novel means for delivering the chips one at a time from the magazine to the feed screws, means being provided, operating in conjunction with the delivery means, to cant the chips and deliver the same on edge to the feed screws.

A further object of my invention is the provision of means for arranging a plurality of operating devices along the lengths of the feed screws to act on the edges of the chips as the same ride 45 past the operating devices, novel means being provided for actuating said operating devices and to supply ink to the chip edges.

A still further object of my invention is to provide novel means for receiving the chips from 50 the feed screws as the chips are fed ofi the screws,

whereby the chips can be conveniently and expeditiously fed to a supplemental inking machine for coloring the opposite faces of the chips, where such is necessary.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement, and formation of parts, as will be hereinafter more specifically described, claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which drawings:-

Figure 1 is a front elevation of my complete machine.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the same, with the means for coloring the opposite faces of the chips removed.

Figure 3 is a longitudial section through the device for inking the opposite faces of the chips, the view being taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 4, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a horizontal section, taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a detail vertical section, taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows, illustrating the means for delivering the chips one at a time from the magazine to the feed screws.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary, detail horizontal section, taken substantially on the line 6-6 of Figure 5, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 7 is an enlarged, fragmentary detail view, illustrating the means for canting the chips to deliver the same on edge to the feed screws.

Figure 8 is a similar view, showing the chip in another position.

Figure 9 is a detail section through the feed screws, taken at right angles to Figures 7 and 8.

Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the

' letter A generally indicates my improved chipfinishing machine, and the same includes a suitable supporting base frame l5, having a supporting platform l6 arranged in a horizontal plane at its upper end. Oneend of the supporting platform I6 extends materially beyond the supporting base frame 15, for a purpose which will be later set forth.

The platform H5, at its opposite ends, supports bearing brackets l! for a plurality of longitudinally extending, spaced, parallel feed screws, or worms, l8, I9, and 20. The feed screws I8 and I9 are arranged in the same horizontal plane, and the shaft parts thereof are spaced a sufiicient distance apart to receive a chip therebetween, so that the chip will be engaged by the threads. The feed screw 20 is arranged below and directly between the feed screws l8 and i9, and the chips rest on this bottom screw. The terminals of the feed screws, at one end of the machine, extend into a gear box 2| for housing the gears 22 utilizedfor connecting all of the feed screws together, whereby the feed screws will rotate in unison and in the proper direction for feeding chips from one end of the feed screws to the other.

Disposed in rear of the feed screws is a main drive shaft 23, and this shaft extends longitudinally of the platform. A counter-shaft 24 also extends longitudinally of the platform between the main drive shaft 23 and the feed screws |6, l9, and 20, and is operatively connected to the drive shaft 23 by any preferred mechanism, such as a sprocket chain 25 and sprocket wheels 26.

The shaft 24 is in turn provided with a. drive gear 21, located in the gear box, for meshing engagement with one of the gears 22. The drive shaft 23 can be operated from any desired source of power, and one end of the same can be provided with a pulley 28 for a power belt. v

Arranged transversely of the platform l6, in

proper spaced relation, is a series of devices for operating on the chips as the same arefed longitudinally of the platform by the feed screws. These devices include a bufling mechanism 29, an inking mechanism 30, a polishing device 3|, and a second inking mechanism 32. These devices will be described in detail at a later point.

It is essential to provide means for quickly and accurately delivering chips one at a time on edge to the, feed screws, and such a mechanism is shown in the drawings at the lefthand side of the machine (Figures 1 and 2).

The feed mechanism includes a vertically extending hopper 33 for receiving a stack of chips, and the upper end of the magazine is open to facilitate the placing of the chips in the magazine by an operator. This magazine can be supported by a bracket 34, connected with the platform I6, and the lower end of the magazine is spaced the thickness of a chip from a feed plate 35.

Operating between the lower end of the magazine and the feed plate is a pusher head 36 formed on the forward end of a rock arm, or lever, 31. This rock arm, or lever, 31 is mounted intermediate its ends on a vertically extending pivot 38 carried by the platform, and the rear end of said lever, or arm, carries a pin, or roller, 39 for movement in a cam slot 46 formed in the periphery of the cam wheel 4|. 1

This cam wheel is keyed, or otherwise secured, to the main drive shaft 23, and consequently during the rotation of the shaft, the arm will be rocked for alternately moving the pusher head 36 across the face of the feed plate 35 and below the magazine 33 for carrying the lowermost chip from the magazine to the feed screws. Thus, the chips can be delivered one at a time from the magazine. In Figure 8 of the drawings, the pusher head is shown in its extreme position and under the magazine.

As the chips are disposed in a horizontal plane, it is necessary to cant the chips as the same are pushed from the magazine, so that the chips will be deliveredin a vertical plane and on edge between the feed screws l8 and I9.

I have provided means for tapping the projecting edge of a chip as the same protrudes beyond the feedplate. This means includes a. tap arm 42 rockable intermediate its ends on a pivot pin carried by the gear box. The rear end of the tap arm carries a pin, or roller, 43, which travels in a cam slot'44, formed in the outer face of a cam wheel 45 keyed to the main drive shaft 23. The forward end of the tap arm is provided with a tap pin 46 located at one side of the magazine.

Hence, during rotation of the shaft 23, the tap arm will be alternately raised and lowered at its front end to bring the tap pin down into engagement with the projecting edge of a chip. This serves as means for tapping the chip, so as to insure the delivery thereof in a vertical plane and on edge to the feed screws. Obviously, the tap arm 42 and the rock lever 31 operate in proper timed relation. 1 7

As stated, as the chips are fed along the platform by the feed screws, the same are acted on by the devices 29, 39, 3|, and 32, and the feed screws serve the additional function of rotating the chips during their traveling movement.

The bufling device 29 includes a swinging yoke 50, having its rear end provided with spaced journals 5| rotatably mounted on the shaft 23. Rotatably supported by the yoke is a driven shaft 52, and keyed, or otherwise secured, to this shaft is a bufiing wheel 53. This wheel is relatively wide so as to insure the effective operation there- 'of on the chips as the chips are moved past the same.

In order to rapidly rotate the shaft 52, the same can have secured thereto a pulley wheel 54, around which is trained a pulley belt 55. This belt 55 is in turn trained about a relatively large drive pulley wheel 56, keyed to the drive shaft 23.

By this arrangement, it can be seenthat the yoke freely rocks on the shaft 23, and that the bufling wheel 53 is normally urged by gravity toward the feed screws and into engagement with the chips. The bufiing wheel 53 effectively smooths the rough edges of the chips, and as the chips leave the buffing wheel, the same have their edges inked by the inking device 36.

The inking device 30 embodies a main inking roll 51, which can be keyed, or otherwise secured, to the driven counter-shaft 24. In rear of the main inking roll 51 is an ink fountain 58, having rotatably mounted therein an ink feed roll 59.

"This ink feed roll 59 engages an intermediate inking roll 60, which in turn presses against the main ink roll 51, and the rolls 59 and 66 are actuated from'the main roll 51. The roll 59 functions to carry the ink from the fountain to the roll 66,- and this roll then supplies the ink to the main inking roll 51.

It is essential that the ink be uniformly supplied over the face of the main inking roll 51, and consequently a plurality of distributing rolls 6| are provided. These distributing rolls 6| are secured to rotatable and slidable shafts 62, and the shafts carry collars, or rollers, 63 for traveling movement in cam grooves 64 formed in the periphery of the main roll 51. Thus, during rotation of the roll 51, the distributing rolls will be rotated and slid longitudinally of the main roll for distributing the ink thereover.

The main roll 51 is utilized for uniformly supplying the ink to the chip inking roll 65, and the same'is in contact therewith. The chip inking roll 65 is located directly above the feed screws, and is adapted to engage the edges of the chips as the same are moved past the device 30.

As the chips ride past the inking device 30, the same are acted upon by the polishing device 3|, which serves as means for forcing the ink into the piper fibres of the chips, and to calender, or gloss, the chip edges.

The device 3| is constructed similar to the bufling device 29, and consequently includes a swinging 'yoke 66. The yoke 66, at its rear end, carries journals 61, which are rotatably mounted on the drive shaft 23. Rotatably mounted on the yoke, above the feed screws, is a driven shaft 61 to which is keyed the polishing wheel 68.

Also keyed, or otherwise secured, to the shaft 61 is a relatively small pulley wheel 68, around which is trained the drive belt 18. The drive belt 18 is in turn trained over a relatively large drive pulley wheel 1|, keyed, or otherwise secured, to the drive shaft 23.

The polishing wheel 68 is normally held by gravity into engagement with the periphery of the chips, and this wheel is also relatively wide so as to insure the proper action as the chips ride past the same. Adjustable stops 12 are provided for the yokes 58 and 66 of the devices 28 and 3|, and these stops can be carried by brackets 13, bolted, or otherwise secured, to the platform I6. The yokes extend above the stops and can rest in their extreme lowered position thereon.

Means is provided for raising the yokes on the stops, so that the wheels 53 and 68 can be held in a raised inoperative position above the chips. This means can simply embody cam levers 14, rockably supported by the forward ends of the yokes, and the cam portions of the levers are adapted to be moved into and out of engagement with the stops.

The inking device 32 serves as means for giving the polished edges of the chips an additional coat of ink, and the same is constructed similar to the inking device 38, and hence will not be described in detail. It is to be noted, however, that the chip inking roll is relatively longer than the chip inking roll 85 of the inking device 38, as it is desirable that sufficient ink be supplied to the edges of the chips around their entire peripheries.

The chips, as they leave the feed screws, may be guided into a suitable container and then packed for shipment. However, in a better grade of chips, white stock is utilized, and the faces of the chips are acted upon by a supplemental inking machine to give the same the desired color.

This machine 15 extends transversely of the machine A and is positioned under the extended portion of the platform I6. As shown, the machine 15 comprises a frame 18, including a plurality of supporting legs 11. The legs 11 support a pair of spaced parallel supporting side plates 18 and a bottom plate 18.

Between the opposite ends of the plate 18 are arranged fountains, or reservoirs, 88 for reception of the desired color of ink. Located directly at the transverse center of the inking machine 15 is a pair of chip inking rolls 8| and 82, and the chips are adapted to be carried between these rolls which apply the ink to the opposite faces thereof.

Means is provided for carrying and distributing the ink from the fountains, or reservoirs, 88 to the chip inking rollers 8| and 82. This means can include main ink distributing rollers 83 and 84, which are located between the chip inking rollers 8| and 82 and the fountains, or reservoirs, 88. It will be noted that the main ink distributing rollers 83 and 85 engage the inking rollers 8| and 82.

Disposed in each reservoir 88 for carrying ink therefrom is a rotatable roller 85, and the ink is carried from the rollers 85 to the distributing rollers 83 and 84 by means of swinging rollers 86, the shafts of which are carried by rock arms 81, secured to rock shafts 88.

To facilitate the equal distribution of the ink over the distributing rollers 83 and 84, a plurality of small rollers 88 are provided for each of the main distributing rollers 83 and 84. The small rollers 88 are in frictional contact with the periphery of the rollers 83 and 84, and are slid transversely of the rollers 83 and 84 during the rotation thereof. This is brought about by the use of collars, or rollers, on the shafts of the small rollers 88, which travel in cam grooves 88, formed in the periphery of the main distributing rollers 83 and 84.

The side plates 18 of journals for the various noted that the shafts for the main distributing rolls 83 and 84 have keyed thereto relatively large intermeshing gears 8|. One of these gears has meshing therewith a drive pinion 82, keyed, or otherwise secured, to a transversely extending main drive shaft 83. This main drive shaft 83 can be driven from any suitable source of power, and the same can be provided with a pulley wheel 84 for the reception of a drive belt.

If desired, the ink carrying rollers 85 of the fountains .88 can be intermittently operated from the shafts for the main distributing rollers 83 and 84, and thus these shafts can have keyed, or otherwise secured, thereto crank wheels 85, which actuate pitmans 86.

These pitmans in turn can actuate swinging levers 81, having dogs 88 for operative engagement with ratchet wheels 88 on the shafts of the rollers 85. Likewise, the rock arms 81 for the ink carrying rolls 88 can be actuated from the pitmans 86.

By referring to Figure 1 of the drawings, it can be seen that a hopper I88 receives the chips from the feed screws I8, I8, and 28. Depending from the hopper I88 is a guide chute IN, and this chute leads to the inking machine 15, and terminates directly above and between the chip inking rollers 8| and 82. Thus, as the chips fall from the chute, they are grasped between the chip inking rollers 8| and 82.

To facilitate the movement of the chips through the outlet opening I82, oppositely rotating feed shafts, or rollers, I83 are provided. The direction of rotation of the chip feeding rollers I83 is toward one another, and thus as the chips fall, the same will strike the rotating shafts, which will throw the same toward the opening. If desired, guide plates I84 can extend from the feed shafts I83 to the sides of the opening I82. Directly below the opening I82 is a removable container I85 for receiving the chips.

To bring about the proper rotation of the shafts I 83, the same are geared together by means of pinions I88 keyed to the respective shafts. One of the shafts I83 can be extended beyond the frame, and this extended portion of the shaft has keyed thereto a pinion I81, which meshes with one of the gears 8|.

From the foregoing description, it can be seen that I have provided means for quickly and efficiently handling chips in quantities to give the same a finish and aquality appearance.

Changes in details may be made without departing from the spirit or the scope of my invention, but what I claim as new is:-

1. In a machine for finishing poker chips of the type having a plurality of longitudinally exthe frame form the shafts, and it will be tending feed screws for conveying chips on edge;

a device for feeding the chips on edge one at a time to the feed screws including a vertically disposed magazine for receiving a stack of the chips arranged above the feed screws at one end thereof, a stationary feed plate disposed below. the magazine, a swinging push lever movable over the feed plate to carry the lowermost chip from the magazine, and a rocking tap rod for striking the chips as the same leave the feed plate for causing the canting thereof and the dropping of the same vertically between the feed screws.

2. In a machine for finishing poker chips of the type having a plurality of longitudinally extending feed screws for conveying chips on edge; a device for feeding the chips on edge one at a time to the feed screws including a magazine disposed in a vertical plane above the feed screws 15 at one end thereof for receiving a stack of chips,

a stationary feed plate disposed below the magazine and slightly spaced therefrom, an operating shaft, a cam wheel on said shaft having a cam track on its outer face and a cam track on one side face, a rocking lever pivotally mounted on a vertical pivot intermediate its ends having a follower pin disposed in the cam track on the outer face of the cam wheel, and a push plate on its forward end movable over the feed plate for carrying a'chip from the feed plate below the magazine, and a tap rod rockably mounted intermediate its ends on a horizontal pivot having a follower pin engaging in the cam track on the side face of the cam wheel, and a tap pin on its forward end for striking the chips as the same leave the feed plate for causing the canting of the chips and the dropping of the same vertically between the feed screws. ANDREW SMITH. 

